Stories from the Violins of Hope
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022
Private Event – Mount Saint Mary’s University
The LAJS and The Braid presented Stories from the Violins of Hope for a special private performance event at Mt. Saint Mary’s University. A unique theatrical presentation with music, Stories from the Violins of Hope tells the story of the famed collection of stringed instruments that survived the Holocaust. The violins were brought back to life by a family of violin restorers spanning three generations. Luthier Amnon Weinstein took what might have become an exhibit of ruined instruments, restored them and put them into the hands of musicians all over the world so that a new generation can hear them. The survivors of the Holocaust will not be here forever, but these violins will continue to tell their stories for generations to come.
Many thanks to our collaborative partners at The Braid, the generosity of the Violins of Hope organization, and the Weinstein family.
After its planned debut was delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Stories from the Violins of Hope was reimagined as a virtual experience. More than two years later, the program is brought to the stage for the first time at Mt. Saint Mary’s University.
Produced by The Braid (formerly known as Jewish Women’s Theatre), Stories from the Violins of Hope is written by Lisa Rosenbaum and is accompanied by music curated by Dr. Noreen Green, LAJS Founding Artistic Director and Conductor. The performance features 7 actors and 4 LAJS musicians, including virtuoso violinist Niv Ashkenazi playing one of the few violins from the Violins of Hope collection currently in the USA.
What a monumental text and beautiful performance. My wife & I watched it with tearful eyes.
About Violins of Hope
Violins of Hope is a project created to celebrate the triumph of the human spirit, based on a private collection of over 60 violins, violas and cellos all restored since the end of World War II. The instruments have been collected by Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshi in Tel Aviv and restored in an effort to continue to tell the story of their previous owners, each with their own personal stories from the Holocaust.
In 2021, the LAJS presented the only full symphony performance of Violins of Hope in Los Angeles County at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Arts.
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